The purpose of
this site is for information and a record of Gerry McCann's Blog
Archives. As most people will appreciate GM deleted all past blogs
from the official website. Hopefully this Archive will be helpful to
anyone who is interested in Justice for Madeleine Beth McCann. Many
Thanks, Pamalam

Note: This site does not belong to the McCanns. It belongs to Pamalam. If
you wish to contact the McCanns directly, please use
the contact/email details
campaign@findmadeleine.com

The McCanns release a new appeal video containing an image of Madeleine wearing blue eyeshadow.

Maddie plays dressing-up, weeks before she vanished: McCanns fly back to Portugal in
bid to reopen case - and release new picture, 01 May 2010

Maddie plays dressing-up, weeks before she vanished: McCanns fly back to Portugal in bid to reopen
case - and release new pictureDaily MailBy DANIEL BATESLast updated at 10:12 PM on 1st May 2010

Kate and Gerry McCann have released a new picture of their daughter Madeleine as they prepare to commemorate tomorrow’s
third anniversary of her disappearance.

The photo shows her when she was three after a raid on the dressing-up
box – she has a pink bow in her hair and a gold bead necklace and is wearing blue eyeshadow.

It was taken
weeks before the fateful family holiday to the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz when Madeleine vanished. She had been left
sleeping with her younger twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, on May 3, 2007.

Last week her parents returned to Portugal
to put pressure on the police to renew their investigation, which was dropped in July 2008, and released the photo and a new
video in the hope of triggering new leads in the search for their daughter, who would now be six.

Having
fun: The new photo showing Madeleine in blue eyeshadow, beads andThe couple,
both 42-year-old doctors from Rothley, Leicestershire, said their three-man team of private detectives hunting for Madeleine
had discovered leads in police case files which had previously been dismissed.

In an interview with a Portuguese
newspaper, Mr McCann said: 'There are leads, clues which weren't investigated. That information has been sent to the
authorities.

'We know that one of the leads was followed up and eliminated, and another was considered irrelevant.
We don't agree. I'm not saying we have somebody who saw Madeleine. But clues lead to other clues and we have to convince
the police to investigate them.'

The couple, who will spend tomorrow with friends, would not give more details
of the leads they want followed up, saying that could hinder the investigation.

Mr McCann added: 'We are going
to call for the case to be reopened. Can it be done? It can. Will it be done? I don't know.'

Kate
and Gerry McCann, the parents of missing Madeleine pictured in Leicester ahead of the third anniversary of their daughter's
disappearance while on holiday in Portugal.A short film released by
the couple yesterday shows some of their efforts to find their missing child over the past three years, from handing out posters
in Portugal to chasing up leads from their home.

The film closes with the message: 'Thank
you for not giving up on Madeleine. Together we can bring her home.'

Today the McCanns
will join worshippers at their local Catholic church, despite Mr McCann admitting that over the months his belief in God has
faltered. The couple have also told how Sean and Amelie had been talking about Madeleine.

Mr
McCann said: 'Sean talks all the time about finding Maddie and what he will do to the person who stole her.

'They know they went to sleep and when they woke up she had disappeared. But they still don't understand
that somebody took her.

'When they become aware of this I think they will want to know
where we were. And we will have to explain to them that we were having dinner in the restaurant next door.'

The couple said their three-man team of private detectives hunting for Madeleine
had discovered leads in police case files which had previously been dismissedwww.findmadeleine.comFind
Madeleine Investigation
telephone number 0845 838 4699

Video marks Madeleine disappearance, 02 May 2010

Video marks Madeleine disappearanceThe Press AssociationUKPA
- 02 May 2010, 00:30 AMGerry and Kate McCann are hoping to put the focus back
on the search for their daughter Madeleine with a new video released to mark the third anniversary of her disappearance.

The short film shows the couple pursuing attempts to find their missing child over the past three years, from handing
out posters in Portugal to chasing up leads from their home in Rothley, Leicestershire.

It includes a new photograph
of a grown up-looking Madeleine wearing blue eyeshadow accompanied with a pink bow in her hair and a gold bead necklace.

The video, produced by family friend Jon Corner, was originally shown at a fund-raising event in London in January
to mark the 1,000th day since the little girl's disappearance.

With the Dido song "Here With Me"
as a soundtrack, it begins with a computer graphic of the holiday complex in Praia da Luz in the Algarve where Madeleine vanished
on May 3 2007.

It goes on to show Mr and Mrs McCann in and around Praia da Luz in the early days after their daughter
went missing as they kick-started a campaign to find her.

There are also scenes of the couple answering telephone
calls and sifting through emails back in Britain.

The film closes with the message: "Thank you for not giving
up on Madeleine. Together we can bring her home."

McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "The
video is designed to remind people that the search for Madeleine is ongoing. Just because she's not in the headlines every
day doesn't mean nothing is being done. Kate and Gerry are still devoting a large part of their daily lives to the search."

:: Information about Madeleine's disappearance can be passed to the McCanns through their website, www.findmadeleine.com,
or by calling their investigation line on 0845 838 4699.

KATE and Gerry McCann have revealed how their twins have vowed
to rescue missing ­sister Madeleine from her abduction hell.

Speaking ahead of the third anniversary
of her disappearance, the couple said Sean and Amelie, five, talk about "getting swords to get the man who has got her".

The McCanns also released a video on their hunt for Madeleine, which includes a new "grown-up" picture of
the youngster.

The snap – taken weeks before Madeleine vanished – shows her wearing blue eyeshadow
accompanied with a pink bow in her hair and a gold bead necklace.

And the McCanns, from Rothley, Leics, who travelled
to Portugal last week to ask authorities to re-open the investigation into her disappearance, hope its release will spark
new information on the case.

It is three years ago tomorrow that the then three-year-old vanished from the family’s
holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Doctors Kate and Gerry said: "Madeleine is still out there and
the person who committed this crime is still out there as well. There are a lot of children who do come back...we have to
keep going."

And they revealed how Sean and Amelie are determined to help the hunt for Madeleine, who will
turn seven next week.

Kate, 42, said: "Sean said to me once, just as I was putting him to bed – it was
out of the blue. He said, 'Never give up, mummy'.

"I just said, 'Don't worry, Seany, I won't
do that. None of us will'."

And Gerry, 41, added: "They talk about rescuing her and getting swords
to get the man who's got her.

"Sean talks all the time about finding Maddie and what he will do to the
person who stole her."

The new video – which can be viewed from tomorrow on findmadeleine.com –
shows the couple handing out posters and chasing up new leads in the case.

Information about Madeleine's disappearance
can be passed to the McCanns through their website or by calling their investigation line on 0845 838 4699.

McCanns: We get our strength from twins, 02 May 2010

McCanns: We get our strength from twinsSunday MirrorBy Justin
Penrose2/05/2010Kate McCann has revealed her five-year-old son gave
her the hope to carry on searching for Madeleine, telling her: "Never give up, Mummy."

She explained:
"Sean said to me once, just as I was putting him to bed, it was out of the blue, he said, 'never give up, Mummy'.

"I just said, 'don't worry, Seany, I won't do that. None of us will'."

In an
interview to mark the third anniversary of their daughter's disappearance, the McCanns, of Rothley, Leics, also released
a new picture of Madeleine from a family video. The missing girl, who would now be nearly seven, is seen with blue eye shadow
and wearing a gold bead chain.

Kate, 42, revealed Sean and twin Amelie pick up on talk of Madeleine, who vanished
from Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 1997.

"Last night at bedtime they were talking about Madeleine and
saying she probably looks quite different now. Amelie said, 'Mummy, she might speak another language'."

Dad Gerry, 42, said: "It's important they know we're devoting a lot of time to Madeleine. They talk about rescuing
her and getting swords to get the man who's got her. They're amazing."

"They know they went to
sleep, woke up and she had disappeared. But they still don't understand somebody took her. When they do they will want
to know where we were. We'll have to explain we were having dinner in the restaurant next door."

Comment:
Page 14

Hope for a miracle, 02 May 2010

Hope for a miracle Sunday Mirror2/05/2010It's hard to believe it will have been three years tomorrow since Madeleine
McCann disappeared.

Parents Kate and Gerry have worked tirelessly to find out what happened to her. So it's
poignant when their five-year-old son Sean tells them not to give up hope - as they never will. Neither should we.

Mark Williams-Thomas questions the 'appropriateness' of the new Madeleine photo,
02 May 2010

Mark Williams-Thomas questions the 'appropriateness' of the new Madeleine photoTwitter

By Mark Williams-Thomas2nd May 2010

* On the eve of Madeleine's disappearance I agree with the release of a new photo but question the appropriateness
of the photo chosen1:09 AM May 2nd via UberTwitter

* Have not yet seen the new Madeleine video but the photograph is so inappropriate & damaging
on so many levels-ill advised again1:46 AM May 2nd via UberTwitter

* Am trying to find out now who gave advise to use the make up photo- so
damaging- as I know what it will become1:51 AM May 2nd via
UberTwitter

Later update:

* No response yet re who advised of the use of recent photo of Madeleine- as
soon as I get a response will let u know11:00 AM May 2nd via UberTwitter

Thank you to everyone
who has stayed with us during the past three years – hoping, praying and supporting our efforts to find Madeleine and
bring her home. We know we couldn't have achieved as much as we have without this help.

Milestones and anniversaries
are never easy, but the work to find our little Madeleine will continue regardless, with the same determination and tenacity
as it always has and for as long as it takes.

It might be three years without Madeleine but it certainly doesn't
feel like we're at the end of the line - far from it.

Prayers ... the McCann's remembered Madeleine today nearly three years after she disappeared

By ANTONELLA LAZZERIPublished: 02 May 2010

MADELAINE
McCann's family attended a special church service today to mark the third anniversary of her disappearance.

They also released a new picture of the missing girl as they renewed their appeal for information on her whereabouts.

Her little sister Amelie, five, wore a yellow ribbon in her hair - a symbol worn in memory of missing people - and
a kiddie's version of the yellow and green Find Madeleine wristbands that both her parents wear

Madeleine was
nearly four when she disappeared in May 2007 while on holiday in Portugal with her family.

Today's service,
the day before the actual anniversary, came as a video renewing the appeal to find Madeleine was released on the McCann's
website.

Amelia, holding the hand of dad Gerry, 41, smiled as she marched into the Sacred Heart Catholic Church
in Rothley, Leicestershire, where her sister used to attend Sunday morning school.

Mum Kate, 41, walked to the
church, near the family's home, holding the hand of Amelie's twin brother Sean.

Special prayers were said
during the service for Maddie and other missing children around the world.

The couple received hugs from the congregation
after the service finished.

They are expected to spend tomorrow in private at home.

Madeleine was snatched
from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3rd 2007. She would now be six.

This weekend her parents
posted a message on their 'Find Madeleine' website saying they would never give up searching for her.

Thanking
their supporters they said: "Thanks to everyone who has stayed with us during the past three years - hoping, praying
and supporting our efforts to find Madeleine and bring her home."

They added: " We know we couldn't
have achieved as much as we have without this help.

"Milestones and anniversaries are never easy, but the
work to find our little Madeleine will continue regardless, with the same determination and tenacity as it always has and
for as long as it takes.

"It might be three years without Madeleine but it certainly doesn't feel like
we're at the end of the line - far from it. Madeleine. Still missing, still missed, still looking!"

They
also posted a haunting video on the website which includes new photos of Maddie.

They iinclude one of her playing
dressing up wearing blue eye-shadow and a pink bow in her hair and footage of mum Kate distributing posters begging for information
about her missing daughter.

Kate told earlier this week how the twins have been talking about Maddie - who turns
seven in ten days - saying: "At bedtime they were talking about Madeleine and saying she probably looks quite different
now.

"Amelie said 'Mummy, she might speak another language.' And Sean said to me, out of the blue
'Never give up, Mummy.' I just said 'Don't worry, I won't do that. None of us will.' "

Note: Errors in text appear in the original

McCanns pray for missing daughter Madeleine as they mark third anniversary of her disappearance,
03 May 2010

McCanns pray for missing daughter Madeleine as they mark third anniversary of her disappearanceDaily MailBy VANESSA ALLENLast updated at 1:43 AM on 3rd May 2010

Madeleine McCann's anguished parents prayed for their missing daughter yesterday as they prepared to mark the
third anniversary of her disappearance.

Kate and Gerry McCann attended a Mass at their local church with their
five-year-old twins Sean and Amelie, ahead of today's sad anniversary.

The couple released new family photographs
of Madeleine at the weekend, showing the three-year-old playing at dressing up in blue eyeshadow and a pink hairband.

Prayers: The McCann's attend a Mass at their local church with their five-year-old
twins Sean and Amelie, ahead of the third anniversary of Madeleine's disappearanceMrs
McCann, 42, clasped hands with her twins as they walked to church in their home town of Rothley, Leicestershire.

The family wore yellow and green 'Find Madeleine' wristbands and released a short film on their website, showing
their ongoing search for the missing schoolgirl.

Mr McCann, 41, and his wife looked drained as they prepared to
face today's anniversary, which they have said they will mark in private.

Madeleine vanished during a family
holiday in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz, on May 3, 2007.

Her parents believe she was abducted from their
rented holiday apartment while they ate dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant.

They told last week how they
had explained Madeleine's disappearance to her brother and sister, telling the youngsters that a 'naughty man'
stole the schoolgirl.

Police forces around the world have followed up thousands of leads and possible sightings
of the little girl, but there have been no confirmed sightings since her disappearance.

The McCanns travelled back
to Portugal last week to ask police to reopen their investigation, which was shelved in July 2008, when the couple were formally
cleared as suspects.

The couple have spearheaded a high-profile search to find their daughter, but have told of
their frustration that no police force is actively looking for Madeleine.

In a poignant message to her daughter,
Mrs McCann said: 'We love you very much, Madeleine, and we're not going to stop what we're doing.'

Information about Madeleine's disappearance can be passed to the McCanns through their website, www.findmadeleine.com,
or by calling their investigation line on 0845 838 4699 (corr).

Parents Say Portuguese Police Not Following Up on New Leads; Criminal Profiler Pat Brown: Girl Should Have Been
Seen By Now

May 2, 2010(CBS) This is the third anniversary of the disappearance of young British girl Madeleine McCann, who vanished from her family's
holiday resort in Portugal in May 2007. She was three at the time.

But, in spite of a huge international police
operation, there are still no real leads on what might have happened to Madeleine, according to CBS News
correspondent Elizabeth Palmer

Over the years, there have been hundreds of supposed sightings of Madeleine, but not one of them has panned
out. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, still hope she'll one day be found alive and have released a new video to mark
the anniversary.

The video's focus is the McCanns' search for their daughter. Palmer says the family has
long been handing out posters and photos, combing the Internet, and responding to tips from the public.

The couple
has also spoken out in an interview on Portuguese TV about what they observed the night Madeleine was last seen.

Kate McCann said, "The shutters, which had been down all week, when I went in and there was the gust that blew the
curtains open, that's when I noticed that the shutter had been pulled up."

On the night of May 3, 2007,
the McCanns left their three children sleeping in the family's vacation condo, and went to dinner at a restaurant 100
yards away.

Around 10:00 p.m., when Kate McCann went to check on the children, she found Madeleine was gone.

The McCanns have dismissed a theory that she wandered off. They are convinced she was abducted.

Gerry said
in the recently released video, "If you're saying is it theoretically possible that Madeleine left the apartment?
Then yes. Do we believe it -- and do we believe she was capable of leaving the apartment the way it was found -- then I would
say absolutely not."

Since 2007, several photos of Madeleine have been widely publicized. One shows her distinctive
right eye, and another is a projection of how she might look two years on.

The McCanns say they will ask the Portuguese
police to re-open the investigation into Madeline's disappearance to follow up what they say are new leads uncovered by
private investigators hired by the McCann family.

Pat Brown, a criminal profiler, said on "The Early
Show" Monday that a combination of factors has contributed to where things stand in the McCann case.

"(One theory) was that the child was abducted. And another theory was that she died in the apartment, and this, of
course, is the theory the McCanns aren't too happy about. And they don't want that one out there," Brown said.

"And so they're still angry at the Portuguese police. And this is one thing I don't think they should
bring up at this point in time. After three years when they're looking to get the cooperation of the police, it's
not the time to say, 'You're not following up our leads.' And they also mentioned that it's possible they
aren't following up the leads because they don't want the child to be found alive, because that would be embarrassing.
Not what you want to say. You want to keep it positive and ask for somebody's help and not bring anything negative into
the conversation."

As for the McCanns' supposed leads, Brown said she hasn't heard of any actually
getting anywhere.

"Ever since the very beginning, when they have believed that the private investigators had
great leads that weren't being followed up on, I never saw that they panned out to be anything. And they're saying
that there's other leads that aren't being followed up, and I don't know what those are, and I don't think
anybody really does. I don't know what leads they could be finding at this point in time."

Brown added,
if the McCanns are innocent of any wrongdoing, they will continue to search for Madeleine.

"They're always
going to believe their child is out there. That would be normal for any parent whose child has gone missing. They're not
going to give up on her. So they're doing the right thing in the sense that they're trying to keep her in the public
eye."

However, Brown added, "Quite frankly, this child has been seen everywhere. I mean, as far as missing
children go, she's one of the most publicized missing children in the world. So that's one of the most unusual things
about this: With her picture out as much as it's been out there, she would have to be pretty well hidden for her not to
have shown up at this point."

If you have information on Madeleine McCann's disappearance, visit FindMadeleine.com.

Liverpool offers prayers for missing Madeleine McCann on third anniversary, 03 May
2010

Prayers have been offered for missing Madeleine McCann on the third anniversary of her
disappearance.

Friends and well-wishers joined Madeleine's family at Liverpool born Kate McCann's parish
church of Our Lady of the Annunciation Bishop Eton, in Woolton, for a special service on Monday evening.

Madeleine's
parents, Kate and Gerry, and her five-year-old twin siblings Amelie and Sean were unable to attend the service but grandparents,
Brian and Susan Healy, who live in the Mossley Hill area of the city, were greeted by supporters.

More than 200
people attended the hour long service, which was led by Parish Priest Fr Desmond Keegan.

The congregation sang
hymns and lit candles for Madeleine, whose picture was displayed at the back of the church.

Blonde Maddie was nearly
four when she went missing from an apartment during a family holiday in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve
on 3rd May 2007.

Next week marks the little girl's seventh birthday, which falls on 12th May.

Our twins keep gifts for Maddie, 03 May 2010

Our twins keep gifts for Maddie The SunBy ANTONELLA LAZZERIPublished: 03 May 2010MADELEINE McCann's devastated parents have revealed how their young twins still keep presents
to give to the missing youngster when she returns home.

Gerry and Kate McCann said five-year-olds
Sean and Amelie often speak about finding "the bad man" who abducted their sister.

In an emotional interview
to a Spanish TV station on the third anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance, Gerry McCann, said today: "Often they
say to us 'the bad man has taken her. I want to find the bad man. I'm going to look for the bad man. I'm going
to fly and find him'.

"They're good kids. They keep presents for Madeleine, chocolates, and they say
things like 'let's keep a slice for Madeleine.'

"They're always talking about what they're
going to do when she comes home."

Kate, 42, added: "One day I was in the bedroom putting them to bed
and Amelie said to me 'I think Madeleine will come home very soon.'"

The couple spoke to Spanish TV
reporter Concha Garcia Campoy at their home in Rothley, Leics, for daytime show Las Mananas de Cuatro.

Kate told
how they explained to the twins how Madeleine had been abducted.

She said: "We talk to them about everything
to do with Madeleine. We were told by a child psychologist just to let them ask us questions and to answer all their questions
honestly.

"Initially they asked where Madeleine was and we told them she had got lost.

"Then
one day Amelie asked me 'did Madeleine run away? Because it's not nice to run away.'

"That bothered
me, because I don't want my children to think Madeleine was at fault in any way.

"In the end I told her
somebody took her. At the same time we didn't want to scare them so we explained the abduction to them saying that if
they want something, you can't just take it if it's not yours.

"And they understood it was if she
had been stolen."

On Sunday Gerry and Kate prayed for their missing daughter at a mass at their local church
with the twins.

They wore yellow and green "Find Madeleine" wristbands and released a new photograph
to encourage people to keep looking for their daughter.

Gerry, 41, told the TV programme: "I don't think
it will ever be the same for us. There are fundamental changes, Kate doesn't practice medicine any more, she spends most
of her time in things related to Madeleine, the campaign, and in looking after the kids.

"We've been through
things that nobody should ever have to go through. But we've got a very strong relationship."

He added:
"I had a special daddy bond with her (Madeleine). When the twins were put to bed she would stay with us, watching television.
I got to sit with her as she enjoyed a treat, a glass of milk with some biscuits.

"She's great, good fun.
She always asked me to chase after her in the garden. She was a fast little girl, very athletic, with a lot of energy."

Madeleine was days short of her fourth birthday when she disappeared during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, on the Algarve,
on May 3 2007.

Her parents have always believed she was abducted from their rented holiday flat while they were
eating dinner with a group of friends at a nearby restaurant.

They travelled to Portugal last week to ask the authorities
to reopen the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance.

They believe Portuguese police have not properly
followed up all the leads thrown up during the investigation.

Can the McCanns be thinking straight?, 04 May 2010

Can the McCanns be thinking straight?The IndependentBy Terence
BlackerTuesday, 4 May 2010Three years have passed since the disappearance
of Madeleine McCann and her parents are determined that the search for her should not slip out of the world's headlines.
To keep the story alive, they have just released a moody video, complete with a musical soundtrack, which includes a photograph
of the three-year-old wearing make-up and gazing into the camera. It is that image which, predictably, has featured in the
media.

It seems a bizarre and unsettling development. Clearly, Kate and Gerry McCann have been living through a
nightmare of unimaginable horror and perhaps, even after three years, they are not thinking straight. If so, someone should
surely have pointed out to them that, in a case over which paedophilia casts an obvious shadow, it looks downright weird when
a photograph which has the effect of sexualising the missing child becomes part of the campaign to find her.

Obviously,
the make-up game and the photograph were innocent at the time but, when the private picture is released into the public domain
in these circumstances, something altogether nastier kicks in.

What was the point of this exercise, apart from
getting more news coverage? At a time when there is justified concern over Primark selling Little Miss Naughty padded bras
for eight-year-olds and allegations that Playboy brands are being aimed at the primary school market, the circulation of this
can only feed prurience of the very worst kind.

Maybe it was a misjudgement, but it confirms a niggling sense that
the McCanns' publicity–at-all-costs campaign has seriously lost its way.

Special Mass in Childwall on third anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance,
04 May 2010

Special Mass in Childwall on third anniversary of Madeleine McCann’s disappearanceLiverpool EchoBy Ben
RossingtonMay 4 2010PRAYERS were said for Madeleine McCann in her grandparents'
church on the third anniversary of her disappearance.

There was standing room only in Our Lady of the Annunciation,
Bishop Eton, in Childwall, last night for a special Mass.

It was attended by Madeleine's grandparents Sue and
Brian Healy, of Mossley Hill, who sat on the front row as those who came to pray and offer support filled the benches behind.

Father Desmond Keegan, the parish priest, took the service.

He told the congregation he had recently been
re-reading a book he first read in school, the children's classic Moonfleet, by J. Meade Faulkner, in which the hero,
John Trenchard, set out for adventures on the high seas.

In it, Trenchard's love at home, Grace Maskew, keeps
a candle burning in her window to guide him home safely from his journeys, a sign, Fr Desmond said, of the hope in the parish
for Madeleine's safe return.

Fr Desmond said: "In the windows of our hearts we will keep a candle burning
for little Madeleine.

"It is very important that in this parish community for the last years we have prayed
for little Madeleine and all missing children.

"By your presence here, your support over the past three years
and your kindness and your love and your devotion, you have kept a candle burning for Madeleine.

"We pray
that Jesus is keeping Madeleine safe and Jesus, the Light of the World, is holding a light for Madeleine.

"I
do find it hard to believe all these prayers will not go unanswered.

"John Trenchard, after many adventures,
eventually returns home and he literally is guided home by the candle that burns in the window.

"As a parish
community of strength, we will continue to keep a candle burning in the window of our hearts for little Madeleine.

"We hope, we pray, we trust that little Madeleine will be guided home by the light of so many candles burning brightly."

Madeleine disappeared aged three while on holiday with her parents in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007.

Yellow ribbons, the symbol of the hunt for her, could be seen all around the church.

Hundreds of Leicestershire villagers offer prayers for return of Madeleine, 04
May 2010

Hundreds of villagers showed their support for the family of missing Madeleine McCann last
night at a service held three years after her disappearance.

Prayers were said at an open-air service in Cross
Green, in the centre of Rothley, for her return.

Family members read out poems and messages of hope and thanks.

Parents Kate and Gerry were among the crowd of nearly 300 as the vicar of Rothley, the Rev Rob Gladstone, and then
Kate's aunt, Janet Kennedy, who organised last night's service, spoke.

A poem by Simon Armitage called
The Beacon, written on the 1,000th day since Madeleine went missing, was also read out.

During the poem, Kate and
Gerry held one another and bowed their heads, while others in the crowd held hands.

Mrs Kennedy said it has been
a comfort to reflect on how "tremendous" the support for her family had been and offered "heartfelt thanks"
to everyone present.

She said: "Every day we struggle with the fact she's still not returned home. We
have to believe in faith and that something will come of it – even though it gets very hard not to lose heart and stay
strong.

"When I meet people they say not a day goes by when they aren't thinking about Madeleine and it's
lovely to have that support.

"It's great the people were prepared to turn up in rain, hail or shine to
be supportive. It's very inspirational that they were prepared to do that. Although we were praying because of the date,
it was also for all missing children around the world.

"It highlights that Kate and Gerry are not the only
ones."

Mr Gladstone urged well-wishers to "persevere and not lose faith" in the hope that Madeleine,
who went missing from a holiday resort in Praia da Luz, in Portugal, aged three, will return safe.

Among those
at the service was family friend Sharon Lawson, of East Goscote, who looked after Madeleine. She said: "We came along
to support Kate and Gerry.

"We're still giving our full support and praying for her return."

Another family friend Nicola Naylor, of Syston, said: "I hope she is returned home soon and is being kept safe and
well. We're not giving up hope of that."